I'm coming into the second year for my Magnums. At the end of last growing season, I cut my vines down to about 10-12" and let them dry out. I'm already seeing sprouts/buds on one of my plants and I'm wondering if that's OK this early in the year. We've had a very dry and warm winter so far here in the central valley of California. My hops havent had any irrigation for a few months now, and we are getting a light frost about once or twice a week. Should I leave it alone and just go with it; cover the plants to prevent frost damage; pinch off the buds; or water and fertilize to get the season started early. Thanks!
I'm getting buds already
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PapaBearJay
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Gotta love winter! I tilled up four new spot in my yard, and now I'm thinking I didn't make enough....so I'm planning for even more.
Jacinthebox
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Same here...with lots more on it's way tonight
The "problem" you have is common in warmer climates. If you left them to grow, the plant would be perfectly find and healthy.
The problem is your yield would be quite low. The plant will go into burr formation before side arms can fully develop so you will not get as many hops as normal. There are also some that claim the chemistry of the cones changes as well.
One option is that you can keep chopping off the new growth until the mid march timeframe when they would normally pop up. Of course at 2nd year, there is only so much energy in the root mass so you may put it at risk if you cut too many times.
My suggestion is to wait until they are a few inches long but still white and tender. cut them off and fry them up in some butter. Delicious. Do that maybe two more times and then let them grow. The only other option would be to freeze the soil to halt their growth.
The problem is your yield would be quite low. The plant will go into burr formation before side arms can fully develop so you will not get as many hops as normal. There are also some that claim the chemistry of the cones changes as well.
One option is that you can keep chopping off the new growth until the mid march timeframe when they would normally pop up. Of course at 2nd year, there is only so much energy in the root mass so you may put it at risk if you cut too many times.
My suggestion is to wait until they are a few inches long but still white and tender. cut them off and fry them up in some butter. Delicious. Do that maybe two more times and then let them grow. The only other option would be to freeze the soil to halt their growth.
If what you're seeing is similar to these, it's perfectly normal. Late in the season, once the plants are done putting energy into the cones, any additional energy produced from photosynthesis is directed downward to be stored in the crown. As this occurs, the buds in the crown begin to swell and those will give you your first growth the following season (one of the factors as to when they begin to blast off is temperature). Leaving the plants up to make energy after harvest is a good idea for this reason alone. These were taken on a nice fall day a few years ago.
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From what I have read (only going to be my second year as grower) most hop farms leave the initial shoots alone for a bit. Then they do one cut of everything, to the ground, and the next growth are the bines they will harvest from.
Thanks; and I apologize if it sounded like I was complaining. My biggest complaint these days is how to deal with all this beer and all these gorgeous women... (just kidding honey, it's just a joke!)
Seriously though, I wasnt able to get a photo before the sun went down, but the buds are actually green shoots, not the white parts in the photos above. From what I've gathered from previous posters, it sounds like my best bet is to leave it alone until mid march then trim them back to allow the new growth.
Thanks again!
Seriously though, I wasnt able to get a photo before the sun went down, but the buds are actually green shoots, not the white parts in the photos above. From what I've gathered from previous posters, it sounds like my best bet is to leave it alone until mid march then trim them back to allow the new growth.
Thanks again!
Greatlakeshops
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If its warm, the soil appears dry, and the plant is starting to send out green growth; There shouldn't be any harm giving them some water.
Just make sure you don't start watering everyday leaving them in a soggy mess. When they are dormant they need very little water. Growers in the northern states don't have to do any watering this time of year. However, if you're down south and you start to see green growth, the plant is likely going to need some water.
It seems like the biggest issue growers have with hops that cause them to either thrive or die is directly related to water. Paying close attention to how saturated the ground is instead of watering on the same cycle all the time can reduce most of these issues. If the ground is dry, give them some water. If the ground has been saturated for multiple days, it doesn't hurt to let them dry out a little. It can be specific depending on variety too. Some hops don't care if they sit in water, other's seem to hate it.
Good luck!
Just make sure you don't start watering everyday leaving them in a soggy mess. When they are dormant they need very little water. Growers in the northern states don't have to do any watering this time of year. However, if you're down south and you start to see green growth, the plant is likely going to need some water.
It seems like the biggest issue growers have with hops that cause them to either thrive or die is directly related to water. Paying close attention to how saturated the ground is instead of watering on the same cycle all the time can reduce most of these issues. If the ground is dry, give them some water. If the ground has been saturated for multiple days, it doesn't hurt to let them dry out a little. It can be specific depending on variety too. Some hops don't care if they sit in water, other's seem to hate it.
Good luck!
Greatlakeshops
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That growth at the top that is now dead after the plant was cut in the fall actually feeds nutrients to the plant while its in dormancy. You really shouldn't need to cut it off at all, or at the very least you can wait until spring. It's unlikely that buds will form on that 10-12" of growth because its probably already dead. Instead the crown buds have probably started to form at the base of the plant already and due to the warmer conditions have begun to sprout.
We cut all of our trial plants about a foot or two from the base. They stay that way all winter long and feed nutrients to the plant. We only trim them all the way back in the spring so that the dead plant material isn't in the way.
You can cut back that dead remainder of the plant if you want, but you shouldn't really need to either. If you do trim up the plant you have to make sure you don't cut off all the crown buds. If the plant was unable to send out adequate rhizomes, and you destroy all the crown buds, you will have problems.
We cut all of our trial plants about a foot or two from the base. They stay that way all winter long and feed nutrients to the plant. We only trim them all the way back in the spring so that the dead plant material isn't in the way.
You can cut back that dead remainder of the plant if you want, but you shouldn't really need to either. If you do trim up the plant you have to make sure you don't cut off all the crown buds. If the plant was unable to send out adequate rhizomes, and you destroy all the crown buds, you will have problems.
brewerelated
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@Greatlakeshops: That some excellent information.
@60sd: From what I read hops will break dormancy when average temperature are above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. I am in southern California and historically that usually happens at the beginning of March. However this year and last year has seen some strange weather in my area.
Could you post some pictures of your buds?
@60sd: From what I read hops will break dormancy when average temperature are above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. I am in southern California and historically that usually happens at the beginning of March. However this year and last year has seen some strange weather in my area.
Could you post some pictures of your buds?
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